Method of making sheet metal housings



Nov. 17, 1936. RL; P LNKA H 2,060,893.

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL HOUSINGS Filed Feb. 17, 1933 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l v F/a. 3/

//V VN TORS R. POL/W17 R 6? Wewmu ATTO/EWB 7 Nov. 17, 1936. R. POLIVKA ET AL, 2,060,893

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL HOUSINGS Filed Feb. 17, 1953 2 sheets-sheetjz 'u '1," I H u I" g i 'lmw "1 26 I: W i 27 v 52 wi i ll l V I I I,-

. /7 W K d ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 METHOD or MAKING SHEET METAL HOUSINGS Rudolph Polivka, Berwyn, and Rubert C. Wendell, Oak Park, 111,, assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,- a corporation of New York Application February 17.1933, Serial No. 65mm a Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making sheet metal housings and more particularly to a method of making ho"sings for pay station telephones.

An object of the invention is to provide a more efficient and practical method of making sheetmetal housings.

In accordance with one embodiment, the invention contemplates a method of making sheet metal housings which comprises the blanking and perforating of a sheet of metal, forming outwardly flared flanges at the bottom of the sheet of metal for the front and two sides, folding portions of the sheet forming the two sides at right angles to the front portion, at the same time forming outwardly flared flanges at the corners between the flange of the front wall and the flanges of the side walls and bending the top so that the edges thereof will meet the adjacent edges of the sides, and subsequently welding the upper edges of the sides to the adjacent edges of the top. A further step of the method comprises the welding of a dial cup to the front portion within the housing adjacent the aperture therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the housing;

Fig. 2- is a side elevational view of the housing, a portion thereof being broken away;

r Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blanked and perforated sheet of material, illustrating the first step of the method;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower portion of the material illustrating the forming of the outwardly flared flanges for the side walls; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

During the first step of the method, the sheet material is blanked as shown in Fig. 3, the central portion of the blank indicated at ill representing the front wall of the housing when completed,

'with integral portions H and I2 representing the side walls and a portion l3 representing the top of the housing. The side walls II and i2 have upwardly tapered edges M, which extend from the juncture of the side walls with the front wall to horizontally extending edges IS, the combination of these edges conforming to the contour of the top of the housing when completed. The front wall'or portion ill is perforated at l6 for a dial unit of a telephone mechanism. Other perforations H are made in the front wall H) for the securing of apparatus to the housing when completed. The top i3 is provided with an elongated perforation i 8 and a plurality of spaced perforations it for a coin receiving unit of a pay station telephone.- Perforations 2i! and 20 are made in the side wall M for a receiver cord and receiver hook respectively to extend through. The blanking and perforating of the sheet of material as shown in Fig. 3 constitute the first step of the method.

A further step of the method comprises the forming of outwardly flared flanges 22, 25'. and M at the bottom of the blanked portion of material shown in Fig. 3 for the front wall ill and side walls I l and i2, respectively. During the forming of the flanges 22, 23 and 2%, recessed portions 25 are formed at the juncture of the flanges to allow suiflcient material for the forming of similar flanges at the corners during a subsequent forming operation. t

The next step of the method comprises the simultaneous folding of the material along the dotted lines shown in Fig. 3 and indicated at 26, 27, 28 and 29. The side walls H and B2 are thus bent at right angles to the front wall in and in parallel relation with respect to each other. The top it is bent to conform to the upper edges M-M and l5-l5 of the side walls H and i2. During this folding operation outwardly flared flanges 30 (Fig. 2) are formed at the bottom corners from the material of the recessed portions 25, completing a continuous and integral flange along the lower edge of the housing.

' After this forming operation the adjacent edges of the top it and the edges l4 and I5 of the side walls It and B2 are secured together by acetylene welding, as indicated at M (Figs. 1 and 2).

The housing is complete at this point with the exception of a dial cup 32 which is blanked and formed of one piece of material and perforated at 33 and 34. The perforations 33 are for receiving screws to secure adial unit in the cup, whereas the perforation 34 is for electrical conductors leading from the dial unit (not shown). The dial cup 3| is formed with an annular flange 33 extending around the open end thereof and is positioned in engagement with the inner wall of the front portion l0 adjacent the aperture l6 where it is secured in place by spot welding the flange 32 to the front wall I 0.

What is claimed is: I

1. A method of making housings of sheet ma.- terial, comprisingthe blanking of a portion from a sheet of material for a front wall, side walls and top of a housing, forming outwardly flared flanges at the bottom of the front and side wall portions, folding the side wall portions and the top portion with respect to the front wall"portion and simultaneously forming outwardly flared corner flanges at the juncture of the flanges so that the combination of the corner flanges with the flanges of the front and side wall portions will form a continuous flange along the bottom edge of the housing. l

2. A method of making housings of sheet material, comprising the blanking of a portion from a sheet of -material for a front wall, side walls and top of a housing, forming outwardly flared flanges at the bottom of the front and side wall portion, folding the side wall portions and the top portion with respect to the .i'ront wall portion and simultaneously forming outwardly flared corner flanges at the juncture or the flanges so that the combination of the corner flanges with the flanges of the front and side wall portions will form a continuous flange along the bottom edge of the housing, and securing the upper edges of the side portions to the adjacent edges of the top portion.

3. A method of making housings of sheet material, comprising blanking a portion from a sheet or material for a front wall portion, side wall portions and top portion of a housing, forming outwardly' flared flanges at the bottom of the front and side wall portions and simultaneously forming recessed portions at the juncture of the' flanges for a subsequent forming of outwardly flared corner flanges, folding the side wall portions at right angles to the front wall portion and the top portion so as to conform to the upper edges of the side wall portions, simultaneously forming outwardly flared corner flanges at the juncture of the flanges from the material of the recessed portions, and subsequently securing the upper edges of the side wall portions to the adjacent edges of the front wall portion.

4. A method of making an article from sheet metal comprising cutting a blank from sheet metal forming spaced apart flanges on an edge of the metal blank without severing the flanged portions from the edge portion therebetween, then bending the blank along a line intermediate the flanges and transverse to the edge and simultaneously bending the edge portion between the flanges to form a corner flange intermediate said flanges to constitute therewith a continuous flange.

RUDOLPH POLIVILt. RUBER'I' C. WENDELL. 

